Disneyland 2014
photo, 2024
The concept of work confronts the viewer with a disturbing paradox: the image of a canonical family portrait using crash test dummies (1976) in a domestic setting contrasts with a real-life tragedy that occurred in 2014. That year, the Garsia-Jimenez's family, on their way to Disneyland, perished in a car crash. The coincidence of ages in the photograph with those of the actual victims provokes unease and raises questions about the nature of coincidence, the vulnerability of human life, and the notion of simulation.
Jean Baudrillard described Disneyland as a model of hyperreality—an idealized world that conceals genuine dangers behind a facade of safety. Work highlights the illusory nature of this refuge, where a real family becomes the subject of tragedy despite all attempts to create a secure environment. This reflects a modern situation where the boundaries between reality and simulation are increasingly blurred, a phenomenon that is particularly relevant in the age of deepfakes, when authenticity can be as unreliable as the images we create.
The work does more than just recreate a tragedy; it prompts reflection on how reality is influenced by artificial constructs and how fragile our lives are in a world where even the most precise simulations cannot protect us from the inevitable.
Jean Baudrillard described Disneyland as a model of hyperreality—an idealized world that conceals genuine dangers behind a facade of safety. Work highlights the illusory nature of this refuge, where a real family becomes the subject of tragedy despite all attempts to create a secure environment. This reflects a modern situation where the boundaries between reality and simulation are increasingly blurred, a phenomenon that is particularly relevant in the age of deepfakes, when authenticity can be as unreliable as the images we create.
The work does more than just recreate a tragedy; it prompts reflection on how reality is influenced by artificial constructs and how fragile our lives are in a world where even the most precise simulations cannot protect us from the inevitable.
STOMA
37 x 37 x 12 cm; wood, exhaust fan, motion sensor; 2024
The found relief depicts a mother and child, symbolizing protection and care, but this canonical image is disrupted by the intrusion of a modern ventilation system with a motion sensor.
The forced ventilation embedded in the relief serves as a metaphor for external control and intervention, mirroring the situation of migrants who must adapt to new, often hostile environments. This element emphasizes the vulnerability of people who find themselves in circumstances where their natural protection no longer functions, and life is sustained only through external mechanisms.
The work raises questions about how the concept of care is evolving in a world where millions are displaced and stripped of their safe spaces. It challenges us to consider how control and intervention can turn care and protection into a mechanized simulation, devoid of true humanity. “Stoma” symbolizes the fragility and vulnerability that become especially pronounced in the context of global instability and forced displacement.
The forced ventilation embedded in the relief serves as a metaphor for external control and intervention, mirroring the situation of migrants who must adapt to new, often hostile environments. This element emphasizes the vulnerability of people who find themselves in circumstances where their natural protection no longer functions, and life is sustained only through external mechanisms.
The work raises questions about how the concept of care is evolving in a world where millions are displaced and stripped of their safe spaces. It challenges us to consider how control and intervention can turn care and protection into a mechanized simulation, devoid of true humanity. “Stoma” symbolizes the fragility and vulnerability that become especially pronounced in the context of global instability and forced displacement.
CONTENT WARNING
video 4k, 50 s, 2024
Buddha, who traditionally seeks liberation from suffering, now faces a new phenomenon: instead of finding truth and harmony, he encounters a warning meant to protect him from potentially distressing content. This creates a paradox: the digital warning, intended to safeguard, might actually increase the allure of the forbidden. In an age where screens filter our perception, this protective measure can become a trap, amplifying suffering instead of preventing it.
The work prompts reflection on how, in today’s world, our perception of suffering and vulnerability is controlled and suppressed, but not eliminated. Content warnings, meant to shield us from pain, may in fact make us more vulnerable by depriving us of the opportunity for true enlightenment, which may require confronting reality, including its painful aspects. In this context, Buddha encountering a digital warning symbolizes the struggle for spiritual awakening in a world where the boundaries between the real and the virtual are increasingly blurred, and protection from pain may become a source of new suffering.
The work prompts reflection on how, in today’s world, our perception of suffering and vulnerability is controlled and suppressed, but not eliminated. Content warnings, meant to shield us from pain, may in fact make us more vulnerable by depriving us of the opportunity for true enlightenment, which may require confronting reality, including its painful aspects. In this context, Buddha encountering a digital warning symbolizes the struggle for spiritual awakening in a world where the boundaries between the real and the virtual are increasingly blurred, and protection from pain may become a source of new suffering.
BABY SAFE
84x 44 x 46 cm; food foil, metal, PLA plastic; 2024
RIZA
50 x 40 x 3 cm; food foil, aluminum, 3D printing; 2024
JACKET
70 x 65 x 12 cm; life blanket, synthpone; 2023
HAND LUGGAGE
fake louis vitae bag, life blanket; 2023
THE BOUNDARIES OF THE SCREEN ARE NIT UNDER PRESSURE
3500 x 2480 px; emoji; 2023
BITTERLY
ceramic plasticine, damaged musical mechanism, enamel; 14 x 11 x 11 cm; 2022
Bitterly is a chant during the wedding, calling for a kiss from the newlyweds.
Video caption: A 23-year-old nurse from Lysychansk, who was blown up by an enemy mine and lost both legs, got married in Lviv. Oksana and her new husband are raising two children, but decided to get married only now. They celebrated the wedding in the hospital ward.
This is reported on the page of the First medical association of the city of Lviv in Facebook.
On March 27, 23-year-old resident of Lysychansk was walking along the path, together with her chosen one was walking. At that time, an explosion was heard. The woman was walking ahead, under her feet exploded mine. The woman was badly injured. Her legs and four fingers on her left hand were torn off.
"But life is not worth putting off for later, decided Oksana with Victor, who in six years never found time for marriage. And this despite the fact that they are raising two children. Engagement rings were bought in Lviv, here she found a white dress. The cake was baked by volunteers. The ceremony took place in the registry office, and the celebration took place in the ward of our Surgery Center," the doctors said.
Video caption: A 23-year-old nurse from Lysychansk, who was blown up by an enemy mine and lost both legs, got married in Lviv. Oksana and her new husband are raising two children, but decided to get married only now. They celebrated the wedding in the hospital ward.
This is reported on the page of the First medical association of the city of Lviv in Facebook.
On March 27, 23-year-old resident of Lysychansk was walking along the path, together with her chosen one was walking. At that time, an explosion was heard. The woman was walking ahead, under her feet exploded mine. The woman was badly injured. Her legs and four fingers on her left hand were torn off.
"But life is not worth putting off for later, decided Oksana with Victor, who in six years never found time for marriage. And this despite the fact that they are raising two children. Engagement rings were bought in Lviv, here she found a white dress. The cake was baked by volunteers. The ceremony took place in the registry office, and the celebration took place in the ward of our Surgery Center," the doctors said.